Life Cycle Assessment of Natural Gas Power Plant: Calculation of Impact Potentials

Abstract

Natural gas is a growing energy source worldwide, with its market share increasing steadily. It is one of the primary fuels used in electricity production. Its high thermodynamic quality and low environmental impact make it the fastest growing energy source in the global energy sector. Natural gas is a relatively clean and efficient fuel, making it a good choice for electricity production and heating. Using natural gas in gas power plants and industrial thermal applications will reduce harmful pollutants. Despite its significance, it is crucial to understand its potential impact on the electricity supply. The objective of this study is to conduct a life cycle assessment from cradle-to-gate of a natural gas power plant to understand the impact on the global warming (GWP) potential, freshwater eutrophication potential (FEP) and terrestrial acidification potential (TAP) categories when producing 1 kWh of electricity. Using the SimaPro (version 9.2) software package and Rest of the World data to model the cradle-to-gate scenario, the study found that the processing of natural gas is the most crucial stage in all three impact categories, making it the hotspot (37-95%) for GWP, FEP and TAP, with CO2 contributing the most at the GWP, PO4 at FEP and NOx at TAP.